One of the priority areas for the implementation of the Agreement is to stimulate the development of youth exchanges and facilitate the establishment and deepening of contacts between organizations interested in cooperation as well as the development of proposals aimed at developing new forms and areas of Russian-German youth cooperation.
At the 15 meeting of the Russian-German Council in the field of youth cooperation (November 19-22, 2019, Heidelberg) it was decided to hold the Russian-German partnership conference "Youth must remember" of youth exchanges organizers in May 2020 in Berlin dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. In connection with the Covid-19 pandemic it was decided to hold the conference in an online format from September 29 to October 1, 2020. The conference was held under the auspices of the Year of Germany in Russia 2020-2021.
Purposes
- strengthening and developing partnerships within the framework of Russian-German youth cooperation;
- development of proposals for a long-term strategy for the development of Russian-German youth cooperation,
- exchange of experience in conducting bilateral projects of youth, school and professional youth exchange in the field of preserving the historical memory of the Second World War.
Participants were 70 people. They were representatives of state and public organizations from Russia and Germany who were partners and implemented joint youth, school or professional youth exchange projects (school teachers, representatives of youth public associations, youth workers, representatives of professional colleges). The Russian delegation included representatives of the Udmurt Republic, Arkhangelsk, Vladimir, Volgograd, Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, Kemerovo, Leningrad, Lipetsk, Moscow, Rostov, Ryazan, Sverdlovsk, Tambov, Yaroslavl Regions as well as representatives of St. Petersburg. They also were representatives of organizations assisting the development of Russian-German youth cooperation.
Results
- As a part of the program of the 1st day of the conference at a discussion with the participation of experts from Russia and Germany participants discussed features and prospects for the implementation of Russian-German youth, school and professional youth exchanges during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. At the opening of the conference participants were welcomed by the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, the Ambassador at Large M.E. Shvydkoy and the State Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany for Foreign Cultural Policy M. Müntefering.
- The program of the 2nd day of the conference was devoted to the implementation of proposals for the Strategy for the development of Russian-German youth cooperation for the period up to 2025. Within the framework of working groups participants discussed such topics as "Future topics and formats of youth exchanges", "Future proposals from coordinating bureaus", "How to organize political communication within the framework of a youth exchange".
- On the final day of the conference as a part of a discussion with the participation of experts from Russia and Germany as well as within the framework of working groups participants exchanged experience in conducting youth exchanges in the field of preserving the historical memory of the Second World War.
- Taking into account proposals of the conference participants the Russian Coordination Bureau for Youth Cooperation with Germany together with the German-Russian Youth Exchange Foundation updated the draft Strategy for the development of Russian-German youth cooperation for the period up to 2025 for further consideration at the 16th meeting of the Russian-German Council for Youth Cooperation.
